Las Vegas Patios
In Las Vegas, patios are often used to extend your living space. It makes good sense considering the climate. Some patio items are fairly common, but I have noticed some people get carried away.
Obviously, a gas or charcoal grill is a fairly common sight. These days, the gas grill, and the bigger the better, seems to be all the rage. Admittedly, we have one that will hold a dozen or so steaks, or six racks of ribs, but then we enjoy entertaining. For everyday use, we have a much smaller one. I also keep an old charcoal grill around, although it doesn’t see much use. Some days, it just nice to go back to the old ways, standing around, waiting for the coals to get hot, and drinking beer.
When we first started coming out on a regular basis, I was surprised to see Las Vegas patios with refrigerators. Now some were small units, tucked under the counter next to the grill, but some were big 22 cubic foot monsters. At least one was just up against a wall, with no covering. When I asked the owner about it, he said it didn’t leak when it rained, and it had been there for several years. Last year, due to a new patio design, we had to move our outside unit out from under cover. It’s old, and leaks a tiny bit in hard rains (a layer of ice forms on the bottom of the freezer), so this year I’ll build a cabinet for it. It is a great convenience to have the beer fridge right next to the grill. It’s also good for holding the steaks.
Both pools and spas are popular Las Vegas patio items. The pools tend to be more party pools, and not as large or deep as those in the east. Of course, this means you can have an entire cocktail party in the pool, since everyone can walk around without going under water.
A gnome keeps watch over the spa Spas too, are common. There is the kind that is built into the pool, and freestanding, so called, portable spas. The advantage to the portable spa is that you are only heating the water it contains, and it has a cover. To heat a spa attached to the pool, the entire pool has to be heated (they share the same water), which makes the bills high, and the pool too hot.
Many pools also have a fountain attachment. You just hook up whichever fountain head you want, make some adjustments to the pool’s plumbing settings, and you have an instant fountain. It’s actually kind of cool.
I never actually met anyone with a sauna until I moved to Las Vegas. The local home show featured an amazing array of them. Some were fairly simple small wood enclosures; some were huge, and cost as much as a small house (at least in other parts of the country). I have to say, though, that I’m not sure I know 11 other people I’d feel comfortable with in a sauna.
I have never seen as many outside fans as I have on Las Vegas patios. Almost everyone who has an awning or overhang of any kind on their patio, has one or more fans to keep cool. It still looks odd to me, but I have to admit that it works quite well. Misting systems are plastic tubes to which a hose is attached. They usually run along the edge of an awning or patio cover, and spray a very fine mist through hundreds (thousands?) of tiny holes. In a hot dry climate, the effect is very refreshing. You will also find these at various commercial establishments to keep the customers cool.
Outdoor speakers are popular, and I have already run the wires for ours. I plan to install them in the next few weeks. After all, what’s a party without music? With all this backyard living, it's easy ti miss a visitor at your front door. I stole a patio idea from a neighbor, and put a doorbell chime by the pool. It sits under the cover of the house overhang, and will probably last as long as the indoor ones. Now, when somebody rings the bell, we can hear even if we're swimming. Probably the most unusual item I’ve seen on a Las Vegas patio is a TV. Not one of those little 9 inch portable ones, either. This was a full 29” unit (placed before flat screens were common) hung under the cover of the upstairs balcony. I asked the owner how it faired when it rained on windy days. He said it had been there seven years, and he hadn’t had a problem yet. Amazing. Enjoy those steaks.
|
All of the major home centers carry fountains of various sizes. They range from small enough to sit on a wall, to very large, elaborate contraptions, that probably require a crew of four to set them in place. I don’t know if the larger units are fed by the water from the house or not, but the evaporation must be huge during the hot months.
